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🧔🏽♂️ Dad Thoughts: Who They Already Are
School starts next week and Niam is getting ready to start kindergarten. And it’s making me think of one of my favorite quotes from Mad Men. There's a line from Don Draper I've never forgotten:
"People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be."
I know you're probably wondering, huh, what does Mad Men have to do with being a parent? But let me land this like a Don Draper ad pitch.
Our kids are constantly showing us who they are. What they love, what they're good at, what lights them up. But we’re so focused on who we want them to become that we miss who they already are.
If your kid is struggling in math while excelling at soccer (really excelling) the common instinct is to hire the math tutor. To close the gap. And sure, weaknesses need some help. But if you're going to pour extra time into something, why not pour most of it into the thing they're already great at?
Steph Curry doesn't spend his mornings working on rebounds. He shoots hundreds of threes a day. He leaned all the way into the thing he was already the best at.
Your job as a parent includes helping your kids shore up the weak spots and work around their limitations. But it matters more to invest in what they're already good at.
Our kids are showing us what they need. Let's not ignore it.
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🚗 FAMILY FUN FIELD TRIPS
Dad-approved outings.
This Weekend → 🌿 Great Nature Play Day Festival at Planting Fields A hands-on outdoor festival built entirely for kids: nature activities, crafts, and endless space to explore across 400+ acres of gardens and lawns. Parents get in free. One of the best pure kid-days of the late summer.
💰 $15 per child; parents/guardians free
📅 Sat Aug 29 & Sun Aug 30, 10 AM–2 PM
🔗 plantingfields
🇮🇹 Cellini Lodge Italian Feast Nassau's end-of-summer Italian blowout: an international food court, "the best zeppoles on Long Island," carnival rides, games, live music every night, and a Saturday fireworks display. Sunday is Community Appreciation Day (free admission plus half-price pasta). A proper send-off before school starts.
💰 $2; kids under 6 free; pay for rides/food
📅 Aug 26–30 (Sat fireworks)
🔗 cellinilodge2206
👑 Beauty's Back(pack) to School Bash at Sands Point Preserve A back-to-school celebration built for little ones: live performances from Princess Beauty, Rapunzel, and the Mermaid Princess, story time, dancing, games, and a backpack each child decorates and takes home. The princesses talk bravery and first-day nerves, so it's genuinely nice for a kid about to start school.
💰 $55 per child; $17 for adults
📅 Aug 30, sessions ~11:30 AM & 1 PM
🔗 sandspointpreserveconservancy
Next Week → 🎬 Jones Beach Bandshell: Final Summer Nights The free boardwalk series is in its last stretch before Labor Day: movie nights, kids' DJ nights, and Latin nights depending on the evening. Bring a blanket, grab boardwalk fries, and squeeze out one more beach night.
💰 Free ($10 vehicle use fee)
📅 Through early Sept, evenings
🔗 parks.ny.gov
Next Weekend → 🎆 Island Park Summer Concert & Fireworks at Masone Beach
The village's big Labor Day-weekend send-off: live music from Andy Cooney and His Band, then a fireworks show over Island Park Harbor. Pack beach chairs and a blanket, get there early because this one draws a crowd, and let the kids close out summer with fireworks over the water.
💰 Free
📅 Sat Sept 5, music 7:30 PM
🔗 villageofislandpark
🏃 Robert C. McAvoy 5-Mile Race (Long Beach) An iconic Labor Day boardwalk tradition. Even if you're not running, come cheer, watch the ocean, and grab breakfast after. A fun morning for the kids to feel the energy.
💰 Free to watch
📅 Mon Sept 7 (Labor Day), 8 AM
🔗 longbeachny
✏️ PENCIL IT IN
Future you will be glad you read this.
🎃 Fall Fun Fest at Sands Point Preserve
Pumpkin painting, puppet shows from Wonderspark Puppets, up-close animal presentations, and live music on the Gold Coast grounds. A full autumn family day with the mansion and trails as backdrop.
💰 Free with park admission ($15 per car; free for members)
📅 Sun Sep 27, 12 PM-4 PM
🔗 sandspointpreserveconservancy
Two Things:
Forward this to Nassau County parents you think would appreciate it.
Hit reply and tell me anything - what you liked, what you want more of, what I missed. I read every single reply.
And if someone forwarded this to you, welcome. You can subscribe here: nassaudaddrop.com
See you next Thursday,
Akash